


Childhood Friends to Lovers

by Zinro



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Childhood Friends, Fluff, Getting Together, Kisses, Light Angst, M/M, Making Up, Subaki dancing around the subject, Two-Shot, hinata being oblivious, sharing bed, they need to talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27578357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zinro/pseuds/Zinro
Summary: As he was assured that the prince was healthy and safe, that made another name spring to the front of his mind, Subaki. He shouldn't be biased among his allies, but he was and he hated this fact, especially since he highly doubted this feeling was mutual.They had grown up together, but it felt like Subaki wanted to forget their shared past.----In which Hinata missed a very obvious hint from Subaki years ago and it takes them 10 years to get together. It's very fluffy and mild angst
Relationships: Tsubaki | Subaki/Hinata
Comments: 5
Kudos: 7





	1. Fragments of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> Slightly inconsistent, my apologies for that.   
> Hope you still enjoy!

"Here, I'll help," 

Hinata didn't care for permission to help his friend out. He knew Subaki would say no given a choice to do so, the guy doesn't know how to ask for help even when he's rapidly approaching death's door. Thus he took it into his own hands to make Subaki wrap an arm around his shoulders, giving him someone to lean on as they slowly walked away from the mass of people.

They had just made it through another battle and many soldiers from both Hoshido and Nohr were wounded. Healers were running all over the place and tending to everyone they could find, but despite their help the soldiers would need a lot of rest to recover their strength after an exhausting battle and to recover the large amount of blood loss.

Hinata had been lucky. He was drained of energy for certain, but he took no major damage in the battle, thus he had opted for helping his allies. Truth to be told, his first priority had of course been his master, prince Takumi, but the prince, much like himself, hadn't sustained any major injuries. Being an archer, the prince could take some distance on the foes, not to mention that Hinata and his co-worker Oboro had made sure no enemies got remotely close to their master.

As he was assured that the prince was healthy and safe, that made another name spring to the front of his mind. He shouldn't be biased among his allies, but he was and he hated this fact, especially since he highly doubted this feeling was mutual.

Subaki.

They had grown up together. As soon as Subaki and his parents had moved into Hinata's area, he had been the one to show Subaki around. He had spent the breaks in school talking endlessly to the new kid, they had shared lunches or sometimes even switched meals, and always helped one another out with the assigned homework. It only took a week before Hinata began to invite Subaki regularly to his house, and some months later it felt like they had a sleepover every other week, if not more often. 

That time had been some of the best years Hinata had known and could still easily recall memories from those days.

But looking at Subaki now, it seemed as if he had forgotten all about it. He treated Hinata like anyone else, not at all like the best friend he once had. It hurt to be abandoned in such a way, but perhaps it was better for the sake of all the battles. Yet Hinata simply couldn't forget and move on.

Lady Sakura had just finished healing Subaki's injuries when Hinata approached them, "Hey, can I help? My gang’s all fine, so if you need some extra hands, I gotcha covered." 

Subaki, of course, had been going to decline but his master spoke first and she gratefully took up Hinata's offer. She had other people that needed healing and thus asked Hinata to help Subaki home to get him some rest.

As soon as she left, Hinata helped Subaki stand up, but he gently took Hinata's hands away from himself, "I'm fine on my own, really," but his body failed him, stumbling over his own feet. Catching himself on the wall as Hinata instinctively had grabbed onto Subaki too, making sure he would not crash to the floor.

"Here, I'll help," 

And that's how they had gotten here. With Subaki heavily leaning on him but refusing to admit he needed the help. Thankfully their rooms were not that deep inside Corrin's castle on the astral plane, one floor up, to the right and then that whole corridor was filled with bedrooms assigned to Hosidian royals and retainers.

The rooms had been assigned in the order of when Corrin had met said person in question, thereby no real order had been established. Hinata could easily find the one that belonged to Subaki, he had been here before, but of course it's locked.

"Where's your key?" 

"A moment, please," Subaki straightens the best he can with a groan and begins to look around for the key, but Hinata can see the exhaustion taking over him. He's practically sleeping where they stood, leaning on Hinata as he does so.

After some minutes though, Hinata decides to take matters into his own hands and steps in front of Subaki, letting his friend hold onto him with both arms around his neck and shoulders. 

"Wha- what do you think you're doing?' Subaki instantly tenses up, on full guard as soon as he feels Hinata put his hands on him. He pushes away enough that there's an arms length between them, cheeks bright red, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. He was afraid, embarrassed or perhaps both.

"Searching for your key, dude. You look like a frightened puppy," 

Subaki sends him an annoyed glare as Hinata lets out a short lived laugh. All the same he takes this as a sign that he can continue to pat down the pockets of Subaki's outfit before he feels the small metallic object in one of them. Reaching inside, he sees the blush only darken on Subaki's cheeks, and then pulls the key out.

He turns to unlock the door and guides Subaki inside, setting him on the bed. Hinata closes the door behind them, puts the key on a nearby dresser and then makes his way to Subaki once more. He starts to undo the ribbons holding the armour up, while Subaki in question pointedly stares at the floor, looking like he was burning up in embarrassment. Armour, gloves and boots are easy enough to get rid of. Now the clothing underneath.

As Hinata lays his hands on one of the ribbons holding his shirt up, he's stopped by a hand on the wrist, "Please don't," 

"But you'd be sleeping in bloodstained clothing," Hinata insists, "I thought you'd like to keep the mess to a minimum." 

"Well, yes-" 

"Then let me undress you," 

"'No, it's embarrassing," 

Hinata gives him a questioning stare, wondering for a moment if he had missed a joke, but he found no answers in Subaki's flustered expression, "Subaki, I've seen you without clothes more than anyone else in this army, probably, so what's the deal with it now?" 

"But undressing me is so…" 

"So what?" 

"... intimate." 

Hinata hadn't even considered that it could be viewed as intimate. He simply didn't think of that as a possibility. Everything felt natural to him around Subaki, nothing was weird or awkward. But now this was and Hinata realized he might have overstepped lines.

"Ah, right, sorry," 

Subaki seems relieved when Hinata lowers his hands, "It's alright." 

"It's just, you know, I've known you my whole life, you're basically family so I don't think it's weird to help you with anything, undressing included, but if you think it's weird I'll back off." 

"Thank you," 

"Just um, I should probably unknot the hair tie, right?"

"That would be nice," It wasn't too personal of a touch after all and Hinata is glad that Subaki agrees on this. 

They take a seat on the bed. Subaki turns his back to his friend to make it easier and Hinata sits semi behind him, undoing the braided threads that holds Subaki's hair back in a ponytail. Once it's out, the hair flows out like a waterfall of deep red wine. It's so soft, it always has been. Hinata recalls how he would comb and braid Subaki's hair in their young years, even back then he loved the feeling of the red strands between his fingers. There's something oh so calming about brushing such soft hair.

"Admiring my hair?" 

Subconsciously, Hinata had fallen back into the habit he had when he was a boy, combing the red locks with his fingers.

"Heh, I guess so," Hinata grins, he doesn't care to deny it. Subaki did brag a lot about his care routine and though most of it flew over Hinata's head, he could tell that all this hair care did pay off, "Just thinking about when I'd spend a whole day learning to braid using your hair to practice with." 

"Ah, but that was very long ago now," 

"Doesn't mean I can't miss it!" 

"I suppose,"

Something was very off with Subaki's responses. He was uneasy about this subject? Then, it would explain why he never brought it up.

"I used to braid your hair before bed so it would be less tangled in the morning and you'd do the same to me whenever we had a sleepover," 

Subaki once more adverts his gaze when Hinata speaks of the childhood memories. Not even replying as Hinata spoke of it. Had he touched a nerve?

He sighs, "Did I do something?" 

"Hmm?" 

"You pretend like we've never been friends, Subaki, it's like you want to forget it all." 

"I do want to forget it," 

"What..?" 

No matter how much Hinata may have thought this could be the case, his heart broke hearing his theory confirmed. Subaki didn't want to remember all that time they spent together. All the laughter they shared, the stories, or the care for one another." 

"Why?" 

Subaki's eyes held pain, brows furrowed and a frown on his lips. He's pleading with Hinata to drop the subject, but he had to know this, he couldn't let things be unexplained.

"I gotta know, Subaki," 

He receives a sigh in turn. Subaki takes a deep breath before he says, "Tomorrow maybe, I'm very exhausted after that battle today." 

Hinata can settle for such a compromise and nods, helping Subaki lay down and pulling the covers over him. He then leans down to give his forehead a little kiss, "Go ahead and get some sleep, I'll join soon." 

"Join?" Subaki questions as Hinata pulls back, hands already undressing himself of his armour and sets on a chair, putting his katana next to the armour. 

"Well, yeah, we've shared bed hundreds of times before and I want to make sure you don't overwork yourself so those healed wounds reopen themselves again. And if they do reopen, I can fetch lady Sakura or another of the healers for you." 

"I'll be fine on my own." 

"But you'll be better off with another person caring for you on top of what you do for yourself," 

Subaki doesn't argue against this, but Hinata can tell that he has some complaints to voice, they just never leave him. Instead of waiting for further reply, Hinata proceeds, untying his own hair and taking off a last couple of uncomfortable things before he scoots into bed next to Subaki. Keeping on the clothing he wore under the armour to be sure Subaki would be comfortable enough in his presence.

He's strangely excited for something so small, it's familiar yet completely new and he likes it. It's been a hundred or so times when the two shared a bed as kids, and doing the same as adults it felt like the bed had gotten so much smaller, but it was the two of them that had gotten bigger. It was near impossible not to touch each other whether it was shoulder to shoulder or legs brushing against each other.

Subaki was so close from here, allowing Hinata to really take in this guy's beautiful appearance that he prided himself on. No one would deny that Subaki physically was a work of art, but his personality could be quite shitty. It hadn't always been though. When they were kids, he was a lot more like Lady Sakura, shy, polite, easily scared and very obedient, but when Hinata was alone with him, the shyness faded and a side of Subaki that he loved came forward. One that smiled and laughed with ease, could tell jokes, even if they could be a little mean at times, but Hinata could always give at least a decent retort back that made both boys burst into laughter.

But that Subaki seemed all but gone now. Like he had died as soon as they were separated in the beginning of adulthood, heading off to different schools because a samurai and a sky knight couldn't receive education in the same place, it simply was too different fighting styles. 

“Do you remember when we squeezed together in bed as kids? We’d hide under the bed covers and build pillow forts or talk like all night and-”

“Hinata, stop it, please.”

“Huh? Why?”

“All that was years ago, things have changed. You need to move on,”

Hinata frowns, “You’ve changed. Well, we both have physically I guess, grown taller and more muscular and whatnot, but you’re the complete opposite of Subaki my childhood best friend.”

“Because I’m not him anymore.”

“But why? Did you grow tired of me?” 

“Not exactly…”

“Then what?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,”

Subaki turns around in the bed, his back now facing Hinata instead. He clearly wants to end the conversation here, but this won't solve anything. Moving on without discussing it wasn’t to move on at all, it was to cut an even deeper emotional scar between them. 

They are both incredibly stubborn, Hinata knows that, and insisting to keep talking when Subaki was like this would not budge him nor would it actually make them progress, it would only cause a fight. And a fight was the last thing they needed right now. 

As such, he only saw one option right now. Scooting a little closer to Subaki, he lays an arm around his friend and can feel him tense up, “It’s okay,” he says, burying his face in the soft red locks, “We don’t have to talk tonight, but please, when you’re ready, talk to me. You know I wouldn’t judge you or ever consider you weak no matter what you feel, but we need to talk, sometime.”

Hinata is more pleased with himself than he probably should be when Subaki relaxes some of the tension in his shoulders again, leaning back slightly against him. He offers no promise to do as Hinata has asked him to, but this is enough for now.


	2. Repairing Hearts

It’s no surprise to Hinata when he wakes up to find the bed empty. Subaki was an early riser, incredibly early one, waking at dawn while Hinata preferred to get up a couple hours before lunch would be served in the Mess Hall. He had always enjoyed sleeping in and remembered how this trait had bothered Subaki in their young years as his friend had simply waited for Hinata to wake up so they could play, he’d just toss and turn, unable to fall asleep again while Hinata slept like a log. Thus Subaki had opted for getting up in the morning, having breakfast and spent time often reading or painting while he waited for Hinata to wake up or waking a very tired Hinata and try to make him play, which he gladly did, but it took some half hour for him to properly wake up. 

But this was the first time Hinata could remember waking up in Subaki’s room in Corrin’s castle. All rooms were relatively small, it was after all only a room meant to sleep in. The bathrooms, laundry rooms and space to eat could be found somewhere completely else. Well, the bathrooms were on the other side of the hall, multiple rooms dedicated to bathing, two for the women and two for the men. At least that was the case for the Hoshidian side of the castle, but Hinata would have assumed it was a very similar set up on the Nohrian side too. He was also aware that Corrin and her retainers had a bathroom of their own which they shared, he supposed this setup was fair as their respective rooms were down another hallway, not to mention that she had four retainers, six if one counted in Silas and Shura who both acted as if they were her retainers despite not carrying the official title. 

Subaki’s room was in many ways the opposite of Hinata’s. It was meticulously clean, every object hanging on their assigned hook or layed on a specific shelf or in a cabinet. Nothing was laying out in the open, except for a note that laid next to Hinata's armour on the desk.

He gets up from the bed and walks over to the note, knowing Subaki would have left it there for Hinata. 

[Good morning, or perhaps afternoon as I know you wake up late.  
I polished your armour roughly this morning, thinking you might wake up by the time I was done, but you were still snoring when I finished. Not that I was surprised.  
I wanted to address the offer you made about talking about our past, present and where to go in the future. I don't know where I want to take it, but I'm willing to hear you out tonight after dinner, come back here to my room if you're ready to tell me all of that, but I cannot promise an instant answer.  
Please do not look for me or talk to me until tonight, thank you.

/ Subaki]

As much as Hinata wanted to talk about this as fast as possible, he had already waited two or three years, so what was one more day? He turns the note around, finds a pen and writes an answer back to Subaki.

[Thank you for polishing my armour!  
I'll see you tonight

/ Hinata]

Then got properly dressed in the armour, combed his hair out roughly with his fingers and put it up into his usual style. To distract himself until tonight, he was going to do what he loves the most, training, maybe he could even find a sparring partner? 

And he did.  
He had one match against Hana and another against Lady Corrin. Close matches both of them, and in the end, he lost one but won the other. 

Then duties took over and he honestly forgot about his meeting with Subaki until Kaze had come to collect Hinata for dinner. It was a Nohrian chef today, but Hinata honestly hadn't caught the name of whoever cooked it, he wished he had though as it was some really good, a bit on the salty side yet simple stuff that had been made. Had he gotten the recipe, maybe he could have cooked it himself. Sadly with no idea who to ask for nor knowing what they looked like, it seemed he would give up the idea.

All the same, during the meal, he caught view of Subaki and remembered how he was supposed to see him later again. Excitement built up, hoping that finally they could start to act like friends again, another part warned him that it isn't that easy, but that voice was a mere whisper compared to the cheer volume of his hopes and dreams.

Hinata tries to not act too suspicious or eager, but he can't help it and has to run up to Subaki as soon as they have finished the meal. 

"Hey!" He greets with a big grin, "Can we talk now?" 

"Please, Hinata, not so loud," 

"Ah, sorry..!" 

Subaki then gestures for Hinata to follow him out of the mess hall and towards Corrin's castle, Subaki's room being the final destination.

"So, since you wanted me to talk first-" 

"Not yet. I don't want this in public." 

Hinata truly did not see the big deal in keeping this so private. It was just childhood friendship. Was Subaki embarrassed to be close to Hinata? All the same, he does shut his mouth until they reach the room. Subaki locked the door behind them, which felt a little like an overkill, but Hinata didn't question it.

"Can I talk now?" 

Subaki nods, taking a seat on his bed, which had been neatly made at some point. Hinata did not remember fixing it and even if he had, he wouldn't have done it to such precision, so Subaki probably had returned to his room at some point in the day before now.

Taking a seat next to Subaki, but keeping some arms length between them as he knew his friend liked a little personal space, he starts, "So, what exactly did you want me to tell you?" 

"I can tell that you hold a lot of fondness and nostalgia in our shared past, but I wanted to understand why. How you can still hold onto it after all that has happened." 

"Easy, cus I had a blast with you when we were kids!" Hinata grins, "And sometimes I miss it. I mean, I'm great friends with Takumi now, but it's not quite the same." 

"And it's not awkward at all for you to look back on it?" 

"Nope! Why would it be?" 

"Because…" Subaki trails off, but Hinata can easily see the pink flush spreading over his cheeks, as he swallows, gaze flickering in another direction. It makes him think of when Subaki was that shy kid he knew back in their childhood days.

"Yes?" Hinata tries to encourage, but only a sigh leaves Subaki.

"Don't you remember what happened before we got separated?" 

"We said goodbye?" 

"Yes and then?" 

Hinata furrows his brows, searching his memories. He couldn't really think of anything else that happened afterwards, "You left really fast?" 

"Of course I did, I was embarrassed for what I did, especially when you clearly didn't ask for it!" 

"You've lost me, Subaki," 

"I know I did, I lost you when we were 14! So why do you have to rub salt in my wounds and not just let it go?" 

"No! I meant like, I have no idea what you're talking about!" 

"Oh…" 

The blush of embarrassment only deepened in color and Subaki bit his lip to suppress his worries, or perhaps to keep himself as collected as he could.

Hinata on the other hand was utterly confused. He had no idea what they were talking about anymore nor why Subaki was so worked up. It made him feel terrible, but he needed to understand to help.

"You really don't remember?" 

"I remember a bunch of stuff, but not what you're talking about. I just don't get what you mean in your dancing-around the subject way of telling me." 

"That day when we said goodbye, I didn't just say that to you. I also decided to tell you something I had been thinking for a long time and since I thought I would never see you again, I figured it would be my last chance. But I couldn't form the words and I… I..." Subaki's gaze drifts to the floor and he finally says it, making all the puzzle pieces click into place, "I kissed you." 

That's what bothered Subaki so? Hinata hadn't even thought much about it at the time. It had been so sudden and short and before he knew it, Subaki had apologized and run away. Hinata had never understood why.

"That's it?" 

"What do you mean 'that's it'? How can you just overlook it? How is it not bothering you?" 

"I don't see the big deal. It wasn't like a love confession or something." 

"Hinata," Subaki gives him a troubled look, brows furrowed in concern and pity written all over him, "That's exactly what it was." 

Now it's Hinata's turn to stare at Subaki with a mix of surprise and confusion.

"Are you serious?" 

"Yes, so since you never responded, I thought you'd rejected me and every time you talked about our childhood I thought of that same pain." 

Before Hinata can really think, he has reached out and taken Subaki's hand in his, "I'm so, so sorry. I had no idea I was hurting you or that you confessed to me, and that you thought I rejected you." 

"Well, you know now, so will you stop mentioning it now? I hurts to think about that rejection," 

"What? No." 

"Hinata, please," 

"No, I never rejected you. I just never understood the question so I never got to answer," 

"If you're about to say no now, I'd rather not hear it." 

"I wasn't gonna reject you!" 

"Really now? I don't want a confession in pity." 

"Subaki, you're being unfair now. I'd never say yes to someone just to cheer them up, I'd offer friendship and maybe to do a favour for them to start off on a good note, you know I would, right?" 

"Yeah.." 

"Exactly! So, I genuinely mean that I like you Subaki, a lot, even if you've changed and I feel like I barely know who you are sometimes. But if you still like me too, even just slightly, I'd happily take you out and get to know you and fall for you all over again." 

"I'd love that too," 

Hinata hadn't realized that he held Subaki's hand in both of his own, carefully massaging the back of the hand with his thumbs longing to touch the smooth skin out of reach. He can't help but to ask, "Hey, um, weird question but can you take off your gloves? I wanna hold your hand, for real." 

Subaki laughs a little, taking his hand back and pulling off both of the gloves he was wearing, laying them next to himself on the other side of the bed. He then offers his hands to Hinata again, who gladly takes one in each of his own. The skin is smoother than he had ever imagined. He could feel some nearly completely faded scars now, it shouldn't be as surprising as it was. They were both warriors littered in scars, but Subaki held such a flawless image that it was hard to imagine that he ever even got hurt, yet that was the very reason why Hinata had walked him home yesterday. 

Gaze flickering back up at Subaki, chocolate brown meeting wine red. Subaki's is half-lidded, relaxed and with the gentle smile on his lips, Hinata couldn't help but to melt at the beautiful sight. 

"You're really pretty," 

It draws a bashful laugh from Subaki, his cheeks growing a little redder again, "Thank you, you don't look bad either," 

"Really? That's a huge compliment coming from you, so thanks!" 

"I mean there's plenty that can improve. You could have some more baths, comb and cut your hair more properly," 

"We had such a good moment, Subaki," 

And he only gets a laugh in turn. 

"But, I hope you don't mind if I don't live up to your appearance standards," 

"I don't mind that at all," Subaki says and it eases some worries off Hinata as he knows he'd never have the patience to put in the same effort as Subaki does in his appearance, "As they say, beauty fades, so I'm fine with you looking a little rough around the edges." 

"Thanks!" 

"Not to mention that you have something a lot more appealing than a perfect outer beauty." 

"And what's that?" 

"The patience, understanding, and unconditional love, the affection and happiness that you share with not only me, but so many others too. That is what makes you so loveable. Why I fell in love with you back then, why I still love you to this day and why I'll still be loving you in many years to come."

Hinata can't stop the grin and the redness painting his own cheeks now, "Aww, come on! You're making me all embarrassed now." 

"My apologies," Subaki says, guiding one of Hinata's hands down on his leg while Subaki's own hand caressed under Hinata's chin. His face getting impossibly redder when he asks, "Can I make it up to you with a kiss?" 

"Of course!" 

Subaki doesn't need more encouragement to lean in and plant his lips on Hinata's, and this time he doesn't instantly pull away as he did when they were kids, he stays. Their eyes falling shut as rough lips meet gentle ones in shy, experimenting movements to try and get a hang of it. They are both terrible kisses with little experience, but they could learn together, love together, maybe even live together one day.

But for now, this was enough.  
For they finally had each other.


End file.
